B. COTTENCEAU
Kirche am Hof
The Am Hof Church, Vienna, Inner City.
Am Hof means “at court”, but it is also the name of a large square surrounding a column dedicated to the Virgin Mary (the Mariensäule), and itself surrounded by a variety of historical buildings.
The Kirche am Hof was built between 1386 and 1403 by the Carmelite Order. The church has three main naves : it is what you call in German a "Hallenkirche" ("hall church", a typical style for late Gothic) and replaced the previous court chapel of the Babenberg palace. Note that as a convent church of a mendicant order, the Kirche am Hof has no bell tower (nor any other tower). In 1554, the Kirche am Hof was given to the Jesuite Order. In 1662, the widow of Emperor Ferdinand III, Eleonore von Gonzaga, gave orders to re-model the façade of the church.
This was done in early Baroque style and gave rise to the "Altane", a noteworthy balcony-like extension that incorporates the entire entrance area. The central parts of the Kirche am Hof were preserved in their original Gothic style, which is somewhat confusing if you see the building from Steindlgasse or the Am Hof Square - it looks fundamentally different. After the dissolution of the Jesuites in the Habsburg lands in 1773, the Kirche am Hof was made a Garnisonskirche (military church).
Kirche am Hof
The Am Hof Church, Vienna, Inner City.
Am Hof means “at court”, but it is also the name of a large square surrounding a column dedicated to the Virgin Mary (the Mariensäule), and itself surrounded by a variety of historical buildings.
The Kirche am Hof was built between 1386 and 1403 by the Carmelite Order. The church has three main naves : it is what you call in German a "Hallenkirche" ("hall church", a typical style for late Gothic) and replaced the previous court chapel of the Babenberg palace. Note that as a convent church of a mendicant order, the Kirche am Hof has no bell tower (nor any other tower). In 1554, the Kirche am Hof was given to the Jesuite Order. In 1662, the widow of Emperor Ferdinand III, Eleonore von Gonzaga, gave orders to re-model the façade of the church.
This was done in early Baroque style and gave rise to the "Altane", a noteworthy balcony-like extension that incorporates the entire entrance area. The central parts of the Kirche am Hof were preserved in their original Gothic style, which is somewhat confusing if you see the building from Steindlgasse or the Am Hof Square - it looks fundamentally different. After the dissolution of the Jesuites in the Habsburg lands in 1773, the Kirche am Hof was made a Garnisonskirche (military church).